On the Wrong Track
by reflecting
Summary: AU/AR KenKao. Story first posted on my LJ. "Kaoru is a Tracker Mage, getting by as a detective outside of the authorities. Her newest mission; capture the cheating Mr Himura on camera. It turns out to be more complicated than she thought."
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: **Kenshin x Kaoru, Kenshin x Tomoe

**Rating:** T for now, but it's rated M for future situations.

**Genre: **AU/AR, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Humour

**Warning: **Slow-building, English isn't my first language, some bad words, a little violence (not much), perhaps some OCCness peeking through.

**Notes: **I started this story ages ago and have been posting it on my LJ. I was going to wait until the story was complete until I posted it here, but I need some encouragement to keep on writing due to the dry spell I find myself in. So, I hope you will like this :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**On the Wrong Track**

**Chapter 1.**

When Kamiya Kaoru, a freelancing Tracker mage in desperate need of money for an increasingly urgent rent, had been paid for a surveillance job on a cheating fiancé, this was not what she had expected. Even if the amount of cash had been suspiciously high, the fact that the fiancé was a mage of the Law Enforcement Guild (also known as L.E.G, which amusingly results in many bad puns (such as 'are you pulling my leg?' or 'break a leg')) had nullified her concerns. Spying and keeping track on the law was always slightly more complicated; magic used in that sense had many layers of different meanings and is, quite frankly, open for interpretation.

Still, the job description had mentioned nothing of the fiancé's former post as a rather ruthless Assassination mage, quite a few levels above her own skill, nor had it mentioned exactly _who_ the mage was. Nothing but a name, place and brief summary of his daily habits had been in the folder her current employer – the brother of the unfortunate (should the accusations prove valid) woman in the relationship – had handed her after barging into her small office demanding her services too early in the morning (she hadn't even had time to drink her tea). Instead, she had been privileged to discover all those little details on her own once she started with her basic research. Finding no existing files of the fiancé's life prior to his post as an inspector in the Law Enforcement Guild, it had led her on a rather wild chase (involving shady bars and contacts she hadn't used in over a _year_) that ended with one chilling realization.

Kamiya Kaoru, 17 year old orphan utilizing her Tracker skill as a freelancing, detective-for-hire, had been commissioned to supervise the private life of a former mage of the Assassination Guild publicly known as the _Battousai._

She should've known there was something fishy about this case when her client had avoided answering any of her questions concerning the history of this cheating fiancé. That Battousai was even engaged in the first place had given her quite the shock (he was a legend, in her mind, not really a _person,_ and less so an actual _man_), but that the brother of his woman had gone to a private investigator of meager mage talents expecting it to work was even more absurd (if you didn't reason that it would be the most unlikely thing to do, because that argument worked almost everywhere – in theory). Hadn't he heard of the rumors? The man was infamous for his efficiency in the shadows of the City! Of course, only the full Guild member mages knew more of him than his name and just a few "others" – such as herself – had enough contact with the other face of society to hear the whispers of his feats. To the otherwise ignorant population, he didn't exist, because he was a member of the Assassination Guild. And there couldn't be a Guild for that nowadays, could there? Surely not after the Revolution was over and done with!

Right.

Sometimes Kaoru envied their simple-minded ways of life. In times like these, for example. Perhaps if she hadn't known, had chosen not to see, then she might not be nervously biting her lip or glancing around expecting Battousai to jump out at any given moment just because she had been commissioned to undertake a spying mission on him mere hours ago.

But, then again, Kamiya Kaoru had never backed down from a challenge. Be it to apply membership at a Guild (the Freelance Trackers' Guild) under a false identity after her father's murder had left her alone, underage and almost completely uneducated in her mage powers (and using another alternative identity for education bought on the streets) or make her living cleaning as much of the criminality off the streets as she could, she always came out of it alive.

Granted, she had gotten on the bad side of several different Guilds occasionally, due to her occupation, but it had been nothing more than solving a case already in the Law Enforcement Guild's care before they could, exposing a rather juicy scandal in the Guild of Celibacy (they preferred it worded that way, rather than Celibacy Guild, and always made sure this fact was known whenever someone mentioned them. No one had ever bothered to find out _why_) or retrieving stolen jewelry from the Kleptomania Guild which happened more frequently (there really was a Guild for _everything,_ she mused – it wasn't a coincidence the City was called the City of Guilds more often than its actual name).

Though, this time around, she was sure she would be messing with the truly _wrong_ kind simply because he was an ex-Assassin of the Revolution. The mages of the Assassination Guild were people she _hated_ dealing with because they were so _insufferable._ Always pop up in strange places, absolutely _loves_ to sneak up behind you, are _never_ late, possesses personality quirks not listed in the physiology books of the Guild of Psychologists and tends to make the _worst_ death jokes during the most absurd moments (like when they answered their phone with_ 'Hello, this is Death. I am not in right now, but if you leave your name and number, I'll be right with you'). _They never showed their face either, but that was part of their job description. She was hoping the former Battousai wasn't fond of old habits and had quit following the strict contract of the Assassination Guild when it expired.

However, the fact remained that it would be nothing but a simple fiancé-has-an-affair case. It was common; it was daily work and occurred far more often than chasing actual criminals, much to her dismay. She sincerely preferred _making a difference_ rather than playing paparazzi on people suffering from relationship issues. But she had risen to the challenge, accepted the well-needed money that would feed her and keep the landlady off her back, and dove in head-first.

oOo

**Subject:** _Himura Kenshin_

**Age:**_ 28 years old_

**Occupation:** _Mage at the Law Enforcement Guild (L.E.G), ranked Inspector_

**Former occupation:** _Mage at the Assassination Guild, then known as the _Battousai

**Location:** _13__th__ Earlstreet, West, the Old City_

Kaoru regarded the basic information scribbled in her rather sloppy handwriting for a few moments before attaching a slightly blurred Polaroid on the opposite page in the folder. Righting the paper clip, she straightened the picture and sighed. She'd had it confirmed the man no longer heeded to the restrictions of his old Guild when she'd seen he'd let himself get photographed. Oh, and despite his obvious experience with being sneaky, the man sure was good-looking enough to get away with cheating anyway. Long, fiery red hair of a foreigner pulled together in a low ponytail and delicate features of a particularly fine specimen of the Eastern Kingdom male, and his huge, violet eyes would slow her own thought process should they give her the look they were gracing his pictured fiancé with. Slow them enough to forget the extra hour spent late at work, she was sure.

Shaking her head, she resumed briefing through the little information she had gathered about the former Battousai. Her father many times mentioned the younger mage's _great_ contribution to the Revolution he himself had been an avid supporter of, but it was only recently she had remembered. It had seemed so irrelevant at the time, and once she had been old enough to understand it wasn't fairytales and legends, _Battousai_ had long since left the field to become a 'proper' employer of the law (as most Guilds, mages and civilians saw it, anyway).

**History:** _Birthday June 20, 1849. Orphaned at 7. Studied at the mage dojo for _Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū_ , tutored by Hiko Seijuro (current age 43, swordsmanship and mage instructor, pottery artist; relatively irrelevant). Began working for the Assassination Guild__ at age 14, doing minor errands. Became infamous Battousai around age 16, was then anonymous beside his code-name. Became member of the Law Enforcement Guild at age 20, have since then climbed in their ranks. _

**Current life:** _Engaged to Yukishiro Tomoe for 8 years, lives together in spacious apartment (see blueprint). Leaves for work at 5.30am, usually home around 8.30pm. Every second week he works over the weekend. Occasional business trip. Life outside of work; none. Friends equal colleagues. Possible rendezvous with mistress; weekends and any overtime spent art work, business trips._

**Suspects(mistresses):** _Part-time waitresses Takani Megumi (22 years old, medic student at the University) and Makimachi Miaso (16 years old, mage student at the _Oniwabanshū Academy, _studies ninjutsu as well) working__at the café _Akabeko_ frequented by Himura and his colleagues. _

Well, for a two-timer, Himura Kenshin, ex Battousai, was interesting; not your usual cup-of-tea. And, she admitted with a sigh, the list of suspected mistresses was so far suspiciously short (and disturbingly young, but then again, she wouldn't say no to that face either; probably believing it was aged 20, and not 28). However, she supposed it would grow as soon as she got to the surveillance part of the mission, since investigating surrounding sources from her improvised office in the little one-bedroom apartment she rented only provided a few dry facts.

Sano, a rough mage – a _Guildless _mage – she had met up with less than a year ago, had been of big help, since he'd had many personal run-ins with Himura on duty. She had actually forgotten how many times she'd had to bail him out from the cells of the Law Enforcement, but stopped counting a while back. It would seem, however, as if Sano had acquired some sort of twisted friendship with the older man much to Kaoru's bemusement. And to think, she had assumed _Ken-san_ to be one of those chubby, doughnut-eating mages who couldn't even light a candle with the amount of magic they possessed whenever Sano had mentioned him in the past (those kind of mages could only be found in Guilds such as the Law Enforcement, where sometimes, they only ever needed people to fill up space in order to make it look fancier). The world was, indeed, a bit too small for Kaoru's liking during time like these. Remembering her call to her ruffian friend, she allowed herself to roll her eyes before closing the folder of Himura Kenshin and setting it in her desk's top drawer. Sanosuke accused her of being too trusty, but sometimes, she wondered about him as well.

"_Hello Sano, do you have time?"_

"_What, you need help with a case, Missy? Is it exciting? Then yes, I have plenty of time!"_

"_Good, because I think you might like this."_

"_Oh?"_

"_You know about Battousai?"_

"_Yes, why?"_

"_His fiancé's brother has paid me to snatch a few pictures of him and his mistress."_

"_Eh? What? Ken-san, Himura Kenshin THE I-shall-never-again-wrong-anyone-and-live-in-peace-behind-a-desk SAINT, is having an affair? You gotta be kidding me, Missy. Have you run a check-up on the brother? He sounds like a fishy person…"_

"_Hold on, Sano, wait up! How the hell do you know Battousai's name? And Ken-san? Isn't that the annoying friend of yours, in the L.E. Guild? And no, the brother does not sound suspicious! Besides, I don't investigate my clients, Sano."_

"_Ken-san, Kenshin, Battousai; same person, alright? And I know, but make this an exception. Screw paid integrity! I know Kenshin, alright? He wouldn't do that! Especially not to Tomoe!"_

"_I'm gonna let it slide that you've kept your relationship with the Battousai from me for now, Sanosuke. But really, Sano, her brother wouldn't pay me to do this if he didn't have any valid suspicions. Not for the amount of money he offered! Besides, he's a former Assassin. He's been engaged for 8 years, still no date set for a wedding. He spends more time in his office and on 'business trips' than he does home. There are a lot of signs for possible cheating here, Sano. I've seen it countless times before, I trust you remember. It is part of my income, after all."_

"_What, stalking people?"_

"_Sano! I do not stalk! I 'track'!"_

"_Yeah, whatever, but Missy you've gotta trust me on this; there's been some kind of mistake. If you don't believe me, fine, see for yourself!"_

"_Good! I will do just that! Now, I have some questions…"_

From there she had managed to get a hold of Hiko Seijuro, Himura's old teacher, who proved to be more than willing to share stories contradicting with the image of the happy-go-lucky man of Sano's, and the ruthless legend of Battousai. It would seem like Himura was quite the brat as a child. Suppressing a giggle, Kaoru shook her head. To be completely honest with herself, she had to admit she'd reached a TMI in her 'basic' research. _Too much information._ She really didn't need to know that he wet his bed at age 9, nor would it benefit her case to know his birthday. He was just extremely…interesting. As the former Battousai, of course. This case was a perfect excuse to look into the man behind the name, right?

Kaoru groaned, dropping her head to the desk with a thump. She sounded like a _stalker._ Which she was _not._ She was an accomplished _Tracker,_ at the young age of seventeen, thank you very much! Raising her eyes she found her trusted, well-used camera staring back and she sighed. Time to get to work.

oOo

* * *

**End Notes: **Please review! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing: **Kenshin x Kaoru, Kenshin x Tomoe

**Rating:** T for now, but it's rated M for future situations.

**Genre: **AU/AR, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Humour

**Warning: **Slow-building, English isn't my first language, some bad words, a little violence (not much), perhaps some OCCness peeking through.

**Notes: **I started this story ages ago and have been posting it on my LJ. I was going to wait until the story was complete until I posted it here, but I need some encouragement to keep on writing due to the dry spell I find myself in. So, I hope you will like this :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**On the Wrong Track**

**Chapter 2.**

It was times like these she was glad she had learned to drink coffee at a young age. There was no way she could've been able to get up at this hour without the help of caffeine, when any kind of spells was out of the questions (Assassins, former or not, were _wicked_ good at detecting magic). Stifling a yawn, she adjusted her position against the building's wall and rolled her shoulders. She was facing his apartment complex at 5.15am and had been there since 5 sharp. His habits said he wouldn't be out until 5.30, but she never took any chances.

Clad in worn shorts with suspenders, laced-up shoes, knee-high, white socks and a big, loose shirt underneath an even bigger coat (borrowed from Sano), she had her hair pulled up in a bun hidden underneath a typical cap for young boys, drawn low to cover her clear, blue eyes (because they would be too noticeable in her distinctly Eastern face, betraying a foreign heritage) Kaoru hoped she would pass as any other frisky youth out to sell the newspaper before anyone else managed to hog the business. This was a usual identity she used, and one of the few she had deemed safe enough to use around Himura. It was one of the few she had registered, after all, and should he ever discover her she had no doubt he would look her up.

But for now, she didn't think she would catch his eye. The only thing she would name suspicious about herself now was the backpack resting by her feet, next to the stack of newspaper she had managed to get a hold of (Yahiko had gladly given up his early morning job for her, and even lent her the clothes without any fuss). It contained her camera, a notebook, an old crime novel, and a pair of binoculars, money, a change of clothes (a simple navy blue and white gown not unusual among girls her age, but definitely a bit out of fashion) a few sandwiches and a bottle of water. Today was the first day of _observing_, and she had decided to see the whole day through. Or, at least, until Himura showed any sign of noticing her presence. Then she would leave, because she would be stupid if she assumed he would shrug off the feeling of a pair of eyes on his back. She couldn't forget he was the former Battousai, after all.

Her head, turned away from his apartment complex to give an illusion of watching the morning traffic of lazy horse carriages and the occasional person on the sidewalks, stayed carefully still when the door finally opened to reveal her victim. The screen of the cap shadowed and hid the way her eyes were practically glued to the red-haired mage in a rather casual suit (_his shirt was PINK)_, and no one would know the amused smile pulling at her lips was caused by him as he tripped on his loose shoelaces. The man looked quickly around, trying to see if someone had noticed, and she raised an amused brow as his shoulders visibly relaxed. Straightening from her slouched position, she stretched and shifted her weight in an attempt to warm up. Himura crossed the street to make his daily way towards his Guild's office and she quickly picked up her stack of papers and left, trying to be far enough away to keep just out of his sight. It was less likely he would notice her if she was the one walking ahead, instead of shadowing him the usual way.

The increasing crowd of people helped as well, of course. Shouting the most interesting headlines at the top of her lungs, she managed to get quite a lot of her stack sold, if only because most of the tired mages making their way to work would rather have her shut up than keep the loose change that always remained at the bottom of their pouch. Compared to a civilian, a_none-mage_, the Guilds' pays were a lot more generous, so they could afford it, after all.

Having been forced to stay in the same spot a tad bit longer than she intended, she watched as Himura walked by, easily maneuvering his way through the crowds. Their eyes met for less than a second, but he wouldn't have been able to see anything other than the dark shadow cast by her cap's screen. Still, his unfocused, obviously coffee-deprived eyes were captivating.

This day was going to be interesting.

oOo

"And what can I get you, miss?" a smooth, polite voice inquired. Kaoru looked up from her book and was met with the coolly smiling face of a rather beautiful young woman dressed in the typical uniform of the café _Akabeko_, where she found herself at 2.40 in the afternoon. She didn't need to glance at the nametag, but did it anyway. _Megumi._ The potential mistress.

"I'd like to have a cup of hot chocolate, please," she replied with a smile, letting her eyes roam the elegant woman. _Yes, very much potential in this one_.

"Nothing else?" the suspect asked, and Kaoru shook her head. "Alright then, I'll be with you shortly, miss."

As the woman walked away, Kaoru settled herself more comfortably in the seat placed conveniently in the corner of the café. She had the window facing the street to her left, her back to the wall, and her head facing the rest of the café with a great view. The entrance was in her line of sight, not that it was needed, since once her victim arrived he would pass her by outside. There was no way to miss that red hair.

Speaking of which…catching a glimpse of it, a blurry ruby red, out of the corner of her eye she struggled against her first instinct to turn her head. Carefully, she remained observing the rest of the café for a moment before glancing down at her book as the bell rang, indicating the arrival of the victim. She hoped the goosebumps on her arms were caused by anticipation and not by the weight of a pair of eyes on her still form.

It had been several hours since she had followed him to work. Nothing had happened on the way but she had been forced to leave once he'd entered the building for work. Infiltrating the Law Enforcement Guild, again, would have to wait until a later date (last time she did it was the first time Sano landed himself in one of their cells, and she hadn't created a Sano-bail-out account at the Bank Guild yet at the time). Today was dedicated to observe his activity outside of work, she'd decided. And from what she could tell, he didn't even have his lunch outside. This was the first time he had ventured out, and she carefully added this notion to her annoyingly blank notebook. This would take more than a few days, if he kept this up. Either he was extremely careful, or he put his work before the mistress as well.

However, she was expecting great things this time. He was, after all, visiting the den of the two suspects. Makimachi wouldn't arrive for another half hour, but from her current employer she had gathered that Himura would be staying here for at least two hours. At least he was using the hours of overtime for something, she mused before scribbling down this notion as well. If he could apply it to tea time, what about _tango time?_

"Here is your chocolate, miss," a voice interrupted. _Megumi._ Kaoru looked up again, quickly covering the page of her notebook with her hand.

"Thanks!" she smiled, reaching for the hot drink with her free hand and watching the woman leave. She was about to look away, when she noticed where she was going. _To greet your lover, hm?_

She stood by the table Himura occupied, smiling coyly and flipping her long hair over her shoulder. Himura smiled, scratching the back of his head and said something to which the woman laughed. Kaoru sighed, wishing she had chosen a seat closer to the man so she might've had a chance of hearing their conversation. Well, she could establish something at least; there was some _serious_ flirting going on between those two. The way Megumi leaned in close to take his order was one sign, but the way her hand brushed against his arm confirmed it. Going back to her book, she grinned.

Now to wait for suspect number 2.

oOo

At 8.20pm, Kaoru was ready to drop down dead and embrace the endless sleep with a smile. Stake-outs and, as Sano would put it, _stalking_ were incredibly exhausting when it came to Himura Kenshin. If she had thought his day-to-day life sounded boring on paper, she had gravely underestimated it. It wasn't just boring, it was _ten times worse,_ especially with the lack of magic for her aid_._

During the 14 hours of the day he had spent at work and the 2 hours in the café, _nothing_ had happened. Well, she didn't know about his work yet, she wouldn't until Friday (which was the day after tomorrow), but he hadn't snuck off to meet anyone, and the flirtatious behavior of Takani Megumi had turned out to be one-sided. But, she had dutifully taken note; he made no move to discourage her. And Makimachi? She had called him _nii-san_ loud enough for the whole café to hear and inquired of the whereabouts of an _Aoshi-sama._ More research, for tomorrow.

But right now, she felt as if she could've accomplished more by simply doing a few Tracking spells locked up in her small office serving as a flat (she actually slept underneath the desk, and the small kitchen area in the corner was enough to keep her fed). But then she would've been forced to steal either a stand of hair or a piece of nail (she shuddered at the thought) from the man, and somehow, she had a feeling that would be quite _impossible_ to pull off undetected. Due to the magical power a name held together with hair or nails, most mages had perfected the art of disposing of any such material before it had a chance to fall into the wrong hands. The mage who invented the automatic stray-hair-removal spell had earned himself a fortune by now, for sure. Rich bastard probably rolled around in glee in his stupid, gold coffin.

Sighing, Kaoru slid down the wall she had occupied this morning and sat down on the ground. She was back in her boy persona – clothes, cap and all – having changed to the simple, navy blue and white gown during the day. She absently picked at the fried hem of her shorts, dimly wondering what she looked like slumping so depressingly against a stone wall late at night. A quick glance around made her glad she was so easily confused for a boy with her breasts bound and hair tucked away. It didn't matter how nice a neighborhood was (because this was surely considered _nice;_ Himura had taste when it came to settling down with a woman, even if he _did_ cheat and _was_ a former Assassin), since strange people would always lurk in _any_ dark alley, posh or devoid of any sanitary spell or not. Those kinds of rules just didn't apply to that kind of people.

"Hey, boy, are you alright?" a voice inquired, almost making her jump out of her skin. Choking on a tellingly female shriek, Kaoru swallowed and tried to calm her heart with a deep breath. Whoever had startled her was _good._ She hadn't sensed _anything,_ and she took pride in her Tracking; having a natural skill for detecting energy, magic and life force of any kind of object. But, then again, she had been quite distracted by her thoughts and it wasn't unheard of that she made slip-ups like these (Sano was quite good at reminding her of this slight fault of hers). Keeping her head lowered, she merely titled it a bit until she caught sight of a pair of polished shoes.

"I'm fine sir," she replied, the earlier voice being male, and hoped she didn't sound too girly. She had the physique of a preteen when hidden beneath baggy clothes, being short and small even for a female, so the light tone she never really managed to get rid of when making an effort to lower her voice was easily associated with a young boy. Usually.

"You sure? Aren't you supposed to be home at this hour?" the man continued, sounding slightly worried. "Your mother must be worried!"

She suppressed a snort. Her mother hadn't been alive for _years_, and when she departed, there hadn't been anything to worry about. Now, well, that was a different story. She hoped her mother didn't have a view of the life of the living from wherever she was.

"It's alright, sir, she's not sir," she assured, still keeping her head low. "I'm just waitin' for my sister, sir, yes I am. She's soon done with work, sir, and it wouldn't do to let her walk home alone, sir. _Then_ ma would be worried, sir!"

She decided this was the right time to title her head slightly upwards and give the man a glimpse of wide, innocent eyes darkened by the night. They would seem too dark to be blue, and probably fend off his suspicions of any kind of trouble she might be bringing to the neighborhood. She was met with a tall squinting man in a rigid costume; the telltale sign of a higher ranked mage within the Law Enforcement. They were one of the few Guilds whose more powerful mages preferred the fashion of the civil upper-class rather than the traditional robes of mages (with the exception of Himura, who had, at least for today, chosen an attrite more suitable for regular civilians). His thin, black mustache looked like it was being held in position by a few waxing spells, keeping any stray hair tucked neatly in its perfect shape. It was an image of a typical, stuffy mage of the Law Enforcement Guild and she had to fight the urge to snort in amusement. If she hadn't recognized the man as the Chief mage controlling the area of her own neighborhood, then she would've believed him to be as stuffy as he looked.

"You're a good lad, then!" he exclaimed, sounding pleased after having spent a few moments staring at her revealed face in startled silence. He was about to continue when another voice interrupted.

"Oro? Chief Uramura? What are you doing here?"

Kaoru froze, not sure why the hairs on her neck and arms were standing in attention at the interruption. She hoped, oh she _hoped_ it wasn't who it felt like it was. Quickly titling her head further down, she hid her wide eyes in the shadow of her cap completely, sneaking a glance at the new arrival. Pink shirt, red hair…purple eyes. She bit her tongue to keep from groaning in dismay; _just her luck._

"Oh, Himura-san! I was actually hoping to catch you on your way home! I was afraid you had already arrived, but how fortunate you haven't yet turned in!" the Chief exclaimed, momentarily forgetting Kaoru as he remembered his original intention. "You see, I have a favor to ask…"

"Oro? What might that be, at this time of night, Uramura-san?" Kaoru kept silent and as still as possible, the last thing she wanted was to draw the attention of Himura to her. But by the way she felt his eyes resting on her steadily, with no sign of wandering away, she supposed it was a bit too late.

"Ah, might we speak somewhere a bit more private?" the Chief replied, uncomfortable. Hastily, he added with a slightly more apologetic tone; "You must feel quite crowded boy, I'm sorry to have disturbed your wait. It really is very thoughtful of you to look after your sister; the streets are less safe than you might think!"

Kaoru nodded, glancing up with a polite smile. "It's quite alright sir, you needn't be sorry sir! Good evening to you both, sirs." The Chief nodded at her, a pleased smile on his face as he turned to walk away. She held her breath as Himura paused, hesitating, and only let it out once the Chief called for his attention. He left, and Kaoru carefully followed his small form with her eyes until it disappeared inside his apartment building together with the older man. On shaky legs she stood, deciding it was best to ditch before Himura's attention shifted to her again and made him look outside.

She would have to be more careful. Getting all jittery and nervous in his presence would make him even more suspicious. She should've known he would notice her, even if he didn't yet seem to suspect her of anything other than being a new face.

Or so she hoped.

oOo

* * *

**End Notes: **Please review! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing: **Kenshin x Kaoru, Kenshin x Tomoe

**Rating:** T for now, but it's rated M for future situations.

**Genre: **AU/AR, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Humour

**Warning: **Slow-building, English isn't my first language, some bad words, a little violence (not much), perhaps some OCCness peeking through.

**Notes: **I started this story ages ago and have been posting it on my LJ. I was going to wait until the story was complete until I posted it here, but I need some encouragement to keep on writing due to the dry spell I find myself in. So, I hope you will like this :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**On the Wrong Track**

**Chapter 3.**

Come morning, she found a safer location to occupy than the day before. She really needn't see Himura come out of his building, after all. As long as she stayed on the street he walked down to get to work, she would spot him, and know he wasn't off somewhere else. So she patiently waited, shouting out headlines to the few people passing by this early, trying not to be too loud. It wouldn't do to be chased off just because she disturbed someone's sleep.

"The Guild of Environmental Protection was rejected a position in the Council of Guilds, again! Old woman sued mage student! Fire in New City destroyed warehouse!" she called, pausing to take a breath when red filled her vision out of the corner of her eye.

"I seemed to have missed buying one yesterday," a now familiar voice commented, making her lower her arm which waved a newspaper around to catch attention. It seemed to have worked.

"Sir?" she said, trying to sound genuinely puzzled. Himura smiled, offering her three bronze coins with the City's emblem on it. She reached for them and quickly took them from his hand (ignoring the way his otherwise undetectable magic slipped over her skin at the contact), handing him a paper in return while he spoke again. "You're new here, aren't you?" She nodded, biting her lip. He smiled kindly, and if she hadn't been holding her breath it would've hitched. "Well, welcome to the neighborhood! I'll be buying your paper from now on, then. Good morning, kid."

And with a slight nod, Himura left. She called her thanks after him as he disappeared down the street, somewhat relieved. His eyes hadn't been eying her in a way that suggested he didn't trust her, he had been nothing but kind. Welcoming.

This was easier than what she'd thought. The only bad thing was that now, she would have to keep coming to this cover-up job of hers until the case was closed, at least, and she _hated_early mornings.

But she _never_ said no to extra money like this. Maybe she should get herself a treat later, for a job well done?

oOo

"I still don't see why I need to do this."

"Shut up Sano, I'm not repeating myself _for the tenth time_, so just bear with it. And keep facing that way! Don't you dare look until I say so!"

"Yes ma'm," he grumbled, crossing his arms with a roll of his eyes. She had just showed him one of her boy personas; apparently this one was named Abe Kenji. He had known she used several identities, but had so far been spared to encounter any of them. Now he would be seeing two in the span of an hour, and for some reason he'd rather not discover, they were_siblings._

"Okay, you can look now!" And he did, slowly. Turning around, he was greeted with an unusual sight. The boy, Kenji, he could deal with. She often donned pants, loose-fitting shirts and different kinds of caps to make it easier to move around. Rarely did he see her in dresses, skirts or anything similar that was tellingly female. Now she stood before him in a simple, pale yellow dress – with white lace and ribbons and bows – that hugged her waist and complimented her bust in a way he found very uncomfortable. She wasn't the tomboy Kamiya Kaoru anymore, the crazy little Tracker mage he knew. This was…what was her name?

"Abe Mai, pleased to meet you," she greeted, head slightly titled downwards, loose hair spilling over her shoulders and her blue eyes peering shyly up at him as she curtseyed. Oh this was definitely not the girl he knew! Kaoru wasn't shy, she didn't curtsey, and was that make-up? He blinked, utterly stupefied. A thin, dark layer of kohl framed her eyes and a simple thickening spell had been cast on her lashes, which he personally thought was completely unnecessary. He suspected there was some gloss on her lips as well, but was already too disturbed by the fact that he was _noticing_ so much about her already to even consider the possibility.

"So," she began, straightening and losing her seemingly meek posture within the blink of an eye, literally. He closed his eyes for less than a second, and the surreal notion of a stranger with Kaoru's eyes was gone once he opened them again. "Is there enough difference for it to be two different people, yet enough similarities for them to be two of the same blood?"

Sighing, he had to hand it to her. With such little use of magic, her transformation was professional.

"Yes, miss Abe, definitely."

_Just be careful_, he added in his mind, knowing it would do no good to voice it aloud. She would have his head, but it didn't stop him from worrying. He had known Kenshin for a while, known him enough to be aware of the older man's strength and way of thinking. And Kamiya Kaoru, playing the part of another or not – boy or girl – would catch even _his_ eye.

If only because her magic was so…warm, and dangerously inviting, to people like him. People whose aches were soothed by the embrace of her magic.

People who _hurt._

oOo

"Hello there."

Kaoru froze; looking up from her book to confront the sight she knew was coming ever since he entered the café. Stupid man and his stupid paranoia. She'd give her left arm if he wasn't here because he'd picked out her new face in the crowd of his favorite café.

"Hi." She decided to be short, at first, because he was supposed to be a stranger. He didn't seem to mind, easily slipping into the seat opposite of hers and eying her curiously. She briefly wondered what she looked like to him, in her mother's old yellow dress and painted eyes and lips, but quickly dismissed the thought. Instead, she went back to staring at her book, intently, somehow wishing he would take the hint and leave. It was easier to play the young maiden than she'd thought; perhaps she wasn't as boyish as people kept telling her. Or maybe she was just really looked the part, dressed up as she was.

He didn't speak for a while, letting moments of uncomfortable silence pass. She steeled herself, knowing he _would_ say _something_ and it would be best to be prepared of whatever it would be. She had found, through experience, that lying through her teeth was very easily detected. When she covered it with half-lies, or spoke the truth with _a lot_ of omission, or even made herself_believe_ in the lie, it worked _a lot _better. So when Himura finally broke the silence to ask if she, by chance, had a younger brother working in the area of Earlstreet she found herself thinking more about Yahiko than she ever had.

"Depends on who's asking," she replied, because young girls were supposed to be suspicious of strange men that settled down opposite of the table you're at in cafés. The fact that she knew very well who was asking would merely make _him_ suspicious so she tried her best to play the part. _Think about Yahiko; yes, he's the brother, not your alter ego. Yahiko, Yahiko he works with news papers, so that's not a lie. He might as well be my brother too, so it's not a lie, see?_

"Oh, pardon me! I'm Himura Kenshin," he said, a sheepish grin in place that made her look away for a moment before steeling herself and giving him a nod in reply, not yet ready to give him her name – even if it was a fake one. "Really? Well, I thought so. I bought a paper from him this morning, you see, and you were awfully alike. I though, you just had to be related!" he explained, the grin on his handsome face widening. She sighed, thinking it was a close call, before retuning his smile.

"Really? I hope it wasn't a hassle, Himura-san! News boys can be, you know? But my brother is usually very polite…" she trailed off; hoping the frown on her face was a worried one. By his reaction, it was.

"Oro! He was the perfect gentleman, miss! I saw him last night, as well, waiting for you. It would seem as if you have a very good brother, miss! Indeed, it does!" he assured her, and she suppressed a snort at the thought of Yahiko. Had it really been him Himura encountered, she wouldn't have been assured at all.

"I see," she said, smiling, before standing. "Well, I think I've been here long enough. If you'll excuse me, Himura-san, I need to get going. I thank you, on behalf of my brother, for buying the paper. Good evening."

With that, she left, ignoring Himura's weak protests and apologies. It was getting complicated now. He had met both her personas, in the very places she could successfully spy on him.

Perhaps it was time for that infiltration.

oOo

"Did you get rejected, Ken-san?" the pretty waitress of the Akabeko asked, a twinkle in her eyes. "I didn't know you were interested in such fresh meat in the first place."

"Oro? Miss Megumi?" a startled Kenshin yelped, more caught off guard by her statement rather than her presence. He'd felt her watching him ever since he hesitated in the entrance of the café before approaching the young lady who had just turned tails and run. Albeit gracefully and undeniably polite, it was still an obvious retreat. He felt slightly guilty for scaring the girl, having only realized the oddity of the situation he'd forced on her when it was too late. Even after several years, he was finding it hard to interact with strangers appropriately. But something about the girl's magic had been…inviting, and suspiciously familiar. Her confirmation of her relation to the paper boy had soothed his worries though, if only a little. Both siblings seemed to possess an uncannily open aura, embracing their surroundings naturally. He still remembered the boy's acceptance of his magic earlier than morning, puzzled by how easily it had been teased to the surface.

"What, my dear Ken-san? You know I was joking. But then again, things aren't really okay with Tomoe, are they?" Megumi said once she believed him to have gotten over the shock her words had provoked, interrupting his train of thoughts successfully with the knowing tilt of her head. Sitting up straighter, he frowned.

"What are you talking about, Megumi? Tomoe is wonderful and I—"

"—I'm not saying she's not wonderful; she is. Eerily perfect, if you ask me," she interrupted once more, pausing to sigh but resuming her speech before he could speak up again. "However, no _happily_ committed man _willingly_ spends so much time at work as you do, or argues with his boss when he demands you to take a few days off! You must hardly see her at all! I might even dare to say you're seeing more of me, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing…" She trailed off, winking at the conflicted expression on his face.

"Oro!" he exclaimed, taken aback by the nerve of this woman. How dare she imply…? She didn't even know..! His eyes narrowed, losing the confused edge her bluntness had caused. "My relationship with Tomoe is my business, Miss Megumi. Leave it be."

She merely raised a brow, and he bristled silently at the whole situation. Time for distraction. "You don't happen to know who the girl that just left was, do you, Miss Megumi?"

"Changing subject, now are we?" she shot back, amused. "Well, Ken-san, I'm not sure who she is. But really, approaching a young girl sitting alone and then inquiring of her identity from a waitress? If you keep it up, I might start thinking you're paranoid. She's just a new face in your comfort zone, Ken-san."

He sighed, slightly embarrassed at her words but too used to her way to be offended. "So you don't know her name?" he couldn't help but ask, since he didn't really like the fact that the girl had managed to escape with his full name while he was left with nothing but pretty blue eyes and the lingering of warm, inviting magic in the air.

Shrugging, Megumi grinned. "If she returns tomorrow, why don't you ask for yourself? She seems like a nice little thing. A bit clueless to fashion, but no one can be perfect like me, you know?" Patting his shoulder, she turned to leave but paused to look over her shoulder. "Be sure to use some of your charms next time though; the poor thing looked terrified by your sudden attention."

Opening his mouth to protest, he was cut off by her laughter as she walked away and waved her hand in a dismissing manner.

"Don't worry; I'm sure you haven't lost your touch!"

He didn't know what made him the most uncomfortable; the fact that Megumi, and most guests sitting near enough to overhear their conversation, thought he was flirting with a girl who looked no more than fifteen, or the simple notion that he _really_ wanted to know her name. Tough decision.

oOo

**

* * *

**

**End Notes: **Please review! :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing: **Kenshin x Kaoru, Kenshin x Tomoe

**Rating:** T for now, but it's rated M for future situations.

**Genre: **AU/AR, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Humour

**Warning: **Slow-building, English isn't my first language, some bad words, a little violence (not much), perhaps some OCCness peeking through.

**Notes: **I started this story ages ago and have been posting it on my LJ. I was going to wait until the story was complete until I posted it here, but I need some encouragement to keep on writing due to the dry spell I find myself in. So, I hope you will like this :)

Also, I apologise for taking so long to update on here! I got distracted by real life, as it were. Anyway, I'd like to thank all my reviewers! Your support means a lot, I'm sorry if I've forgotten to reply to some of you. It sucks that you can't see who you've replied to and who are still left unreplied :( Oh well! Know that you all have my gratitude! :D Enough babble...

Enjoy!

* * *

**On the Wrong Track**

**Chapter 4.**

"Are you this early every day sir?" Kaoru asked, trying to sound genuinely curious as she handed Himura his morning paper after a polite greeting. "I barely have time to unpack the papers before you're here!"

The red-head laughed, tucking the paper under his arms and winking. "Please, no need to call me sir, boy. My name is Himura Kenshin. But yes, I am always up and about at this time."

Kaoru fought a blush at his amused, almost playful attitude; mentally arguing that she was supposed to be a kid, and a kid _wasn't _supposed to react like this to his friendly behavior. She covered up her discomfort with a grin, clasping her hands behind her back and rolling up on her heels while she peered up at the older man with wide, innocent eyes.

"Pleased to meet you, then, Himura-san! I am Abe Kenji!" she replied to his unspoken question, knowing it would be suspicious not to return the favor of introduction. She just hoped he wouldn't look into it, but knowing what she did about him, it was a lost cause. The slight spark of interest in his violet eyes told her all she needed to come to that conclusion.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kenji-kun!" he said, a smile tugging at his lips and she cursed the man for his appeal. "Oh, and that reminds me…I ran into your sister yesterday, at a café. I didn't catch her name, she seemed to be quite in a hurry…"

Well, she mused, that sure wasn't subtle in the least. But, she gathered, to a kid the age she appeared it probably wouldn't appear suspicious at all. Especially not with the aura of _trust_ he possessed with those eyes and that damned smile. She was probably biased as well, knowing the true nature of this man. He would let _nothing_ escape him. Briefly, she wondered what he would think should he find out how much she actually knew of him. Facts aside, she was known to be a good judge of character (with a few exception, she admitted, before she had been faced with the many faces of trust and betrayal) and felt confident enough to form personal opinions about this man despite the obvious distance between them.

"Oh, you've met Mai?" she exclaimed after making a point of blinking confusedly, almost giving in to the urge to roll her eyes at the smug tilt of his lips.

"Ah, yes, Miss Mai," he confirmed, nodding. "She was quite the charming young lady. It is good of you to look after her, Kenji-kun."

She didn't bother concealing her blush this time around, because really, it didn't matter who she was at the moment; either way she had been praised and it left her with a strangely pleased feeling to hear it come from _him_, of all people. She suspected it had something to do with the unfortunate attraction she harbored, but to be fair, could she really be blamed? The man was _gorgeous._

"Oh, I wouldn't call her charming," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Realizing that her usual response to compliments had slipped through, she quickly covered it up with a fond smile that she hoped looked brotherly and not as femininely demure as it felt. "She has a tendency to get into trouble, so I am quite happy to be around to prevent it sir. Who knows what she'd get herself into otherwise?"

This caused him to chuckle, for she was sure she sounded arrogant and prideful in the amusing way only little brothers could. She guessed it helped to think about Sano during times like these.

"Indeed," he agreed with a smile and she bit her lip to prevent releasing a sigh of relief. "I am sure you are doing a great job as well!"

_Honestly? I don't think so, Himura-san,_ she thought with a slight pang of helplessness that she quickly suppressed. The way things were, she had not done a good job with keeping either of the Abe siblings out of trouble with this man. Then again, as long as it wasn't _her_, the game wasn't lost yet.

"Well, I'll have to get going," Himura continued before she could reply with more than a smile. Flicking her cap's screen with his fingers, he winked and turned to leave. "Good bye, Kenji-kun!"

Momentarily immobile, frozen in place in fear of the cap falling off at his careless gesture, Kaoru barely had time to return his farewell before he disappeared in the increasing morning crowd.

Well, that was…interesting.

Securing her cap, she resumed her new morning job with renewed vigor and hoped the rest of the day would be less nerve-racking. Considering what she had planned, it was sadly quite unlikely.

oOo

Later that morning, Kaoru was found grinning excitedly as she slipped past a group of Officers conversing in the hallway, catching enough words to guess at the topic. Apparently something was wrong with the doughnuts, and the new coffee machine donated by the University made the beverage awfully wishy-washy and bitter.

(The Invention mages were fond of experimenting with magic and its uses – especially the students – and sometimes, they came up with pretty decent devices. However, the result wasn't always guaranteed to be useable, or anything else ending with –able for that matter.)

Dressed up in the strict uniform of a Sergeant in the ranks of the Law Enforcement Guild, Kaoru blended in quite easily, because there were a lot of Sergeants. This Guild, like many other of its kind, reasoned there had to be _someone_ doing the yelling. Preferably a lot of them, since it would benefit Discipline (a notion you encountered frequently thorough history). Kaoru herself was quite unaware of her familiarity with its practice, but both Sano and Yahiko would be willing to elaborate.

"Excuse me, sirs," she snapped at another group of Officer taking up too much space, sounding every bit of Uniformed Woman that she, currently, was. They snapped to attention and before she could express her need, they made way for her and warily watched as she strode past with long, confident strides. Only a few more twists and turns, and she would be in the area where Himura Kenshin worked. Yesterday, she had contemplated to wait a day or two before infiltrating his Guild after her hasty exit in the café but had decided against it. Things were moving slowly as it was, and she _really_ needed the money.

As she roamed the corridors, she made sure to keep an eye open for any possible suspects. Because, really, who'd said Himura needed to _leave_ work in order to be with his mistress?

She'd heard men liked a girl in uniform, after all.

oOo

So, maybe working for the Law wasn't all it was cracked up to be, Himura Kenshin begrudgingly admitted as he stared at the piles of papers covering every inch of his desk.

But he _was_ needed here, wasn't he? Who else would be around to make sure mistakes weren't repeated? Few had lived through the Revolution; even less seemed to remember the darker side to it, instead preferring to focus on the glorified victory. He was one of those who still recalled the oppression, the intoxicating taste of power – who recalled the blood which flooded the streets, the sweat that fell into your eyes and blinded you and the many, many tears which so often had fallen unnoticed in the constant, magical rain which washed the coppery red off slippery stone. Honestly then, who was better to silently guard the new era than the one who helped birth it? Working in the shadows, as he'd always done.

Besides, filing papers and reading reports, complaints and whatever else civilians, mages and other Guilds could possibly turn in seemed like a fitting occupation for the former Battousai. Peaceful, ordinary; normal. A way to repay society, keeping the order he had fought for. That sounded about right, didn't it? His double life of roaming the streets and catching the worst of the worst in between doing paperwork just proved he was all the more willing to repay for the lives he'd taken, wasn't it? Though, it was enough for people to just know about the paperwork, he mused.

_Overprized bread on the market went to the Bakers' Guild, suggestions for a revaluation of the Educational system to the Guild of Education._

He easily sorted through the mass of paper seated on his desk, readying them to be sent to their respective authorized receivers. Why the Law Enforcement needed to deal with it all first, he didn't know, but apparently people preferred to send it all here rather than to the Guilds responsible. Something about it being more organized, but sometimes, he found himself wondering what they were _thinking._ But, he had no right to complain. He'd chosen – willingly _and_ knowingly – to take on the desk job of an Inspector despite its unfortunate side effect of (insanely close to _fatal)_ boredom. So he continued, placing a crumbled paper titled _"Concerning the Question of Installing a Beer Tap in the City Square's Fountain"_, which smelled suspiciously like the beverage it promoted, on a small stack of paper to his left that looked a tad bit more disorganized.

Some things were rather hard to catalogize, after all, so he left them for the Guild of Miscellaneous Matters. They couldn't have much to do in the first place, he reasoned. He really wasn't feeling guilty enough to be bothered by the fact that some Guilds just weren't qualified to deal with certain matters – such as a giant beer tap in the center of the City. It sounded eerily like something Sagara Sanosuke would pull off, but personally, Kenshin preferred coffee.

No, Kenshin wouldn't say no to a cup of coffee, that he wouldn't. Standing, he happily left the stuffy office in search for a traditional coffee pot in order to brew the _real_ beverage, but he feared all of them had been confiscated in favor of installing the new _machines _from the University. He sighed at the thought, lazily making his way down the corridor.

A sudden, familiar, wisp of magic made him pause for less than a second, before he resumed his seemingly relaxed walk. The sensation of a pair of eyes regarding his back followed him until he turned a corner, and when he was out of sight, he carefully let his magic loose to feel the touch of the other's once again.

It would seem as if one of the new, startlingly blue-eyed siblings had either gotten lost in the building on an errand, or had found him more interesting than they should.

Perhaps it was time to do something about his paranoia, and what better than to confront the current problem?

oOo

Her supposedly great infiltration had not given her much more to go on. Her notebook's pages were still painfully sparse of actual notes, and she'd been forced to yell at a young errands boy who was found stealing paperclips. A whole bunch of Officers had been watching, after all.

It was with a pout that she settled down in her old, worn chair behind the desk of her office. Opening her notebook, she read through the little information she had added today with a disappointed sigh.

_Three potential suspects on the same floor, five all together on the other floors. Only leaves his office to get coffee and more paperwork. Likes his coffee black in the morning but adds milk and sugar around noon. Looks good in his pink shirt, as long as he keeps his vest on. The shirt is in bad need of mending._

Not very profitable for her mission. Not even sneaking into his office and going through most of his drawers had provided her with any sort of useful information, like telephone numbers or addresses, names or gifts. She had stopped dragging her camera with her, since it became apparent pretty early that she would really have to work to find this mistress of his.

If nothing turned up soon, she might even consider the possibility of there being none at all.

But first, she had to pack. It was time to crash a business trip.

oOo

Looking up civilians was quite easy, Kenshin knew. Their history, their _lives_, was not as complicated as that of a mage simply because the records of their time alive had no magic woven into it. Not because some of them didn't possess any of it themselves, it was just the matter of successfully merging it into their lives. As it turned out, however, it was proving quite difficult to look up civilians who appeared not to be civilians at all. He had wasted precious time to come to this conclusion, before he realized the pair of siblings he was looking for was actually _mages._ That, or foreigners. He opted the last one out, since he had come in contact with the magic both possessed and recognized the tell-tale…_frequency _it was on. Shaking his head to prevent himself from diving into the complicated task of analyzing the texture of their magic he remembered eerily well, Kenshin resumed his search through the many tombs of knowledge lined up on impressive shelves in the City Library within the, ironically, Guild of Knowledge. Sometimes he wondered what outsiders must think of this City and its fixation with Guilds, but this was not one of those times.

He had finally found the book containing the rough mages with a last name beginning with "A".

"Abe, Kenji," he mumbled, having placed the book on a nearby table and settled down. He browsed past several pages, running a finger down the many names listed and was a little surprised at the length of the section with "Abe" named people that lived in the City currently. It was an impressively common name, he noted with a familiar tug of suspicion.

Finally, he arrived at the name he was looking for. Abe Kenji. There were seven of them, but it didn't bother him. From here, it would be easy. Closing his eyes he thought of the spell needed to gain the necessary information from the book and for a moment he wondered why they haven't added a magical index to finding the names yet. He suspected it was some kind of precaution, and didn't linger on the question as he completed the chant in his head.

When he opened his eyes again, the book before him had been wiped clean of the many names and was instead filled with the location, occupations, status and little bits of miscellaneous information of the seven Abe Kenji in the City. Two of them lived close enough to work in his neighborhood, and a muttered word cleared the other five from the book. Both of the Abe Kenjis left had siblings, but only one had a sister. He emptied the book of the last name and was left with what he was sure was the correct one. Satisfied, he started to scan through the messily written information. The rogue mages wrote their own records, under the supervision of highly ranking Citizen Guild members, with fountain pens spelled to prevent lies. It would take an educated mage to bypass the pens, and thus false identities were hard to register for 'legal' use but not uncommon in these books. Only mages who wished to obtain a solid position in society applied to Guilds and had their chosen Guild renew their personal information in the Citizens' Registration of Mages' books that would allow no civilian or rogue mage on its pages. False identities in those were much rarer than among the rogues, since you'd had to fool both your Guild and the actual books. Magic like that was tricky, but not impossible.

Realizing he had spaced out, Kenshin shook his head and almost laughed at his own thoughts. He hadn't even started to look into the identities of the Abe siblings, yet here he was, thinking like it was already proved that they were somehow forged.

"Perhaps Megumi is right," he mumbled, wiping his bangs out of his eyes. "Maybe I am a tad bit too paranoid."

Well, whatever the case, he really needed to speed up. He was supposed to be home by now, earlier than usual since he, for once, left work early. But he had left to come here, and he wasn't done yet. So, if he wanted to get home at his usual time he would have to hurry.

"Abe Kenji, eleven years old," he read, tapping his finger against the table. _Lives on Apple Street, orphaned at six. Sister is legal guardian. _

He stared blankly at the page, wondering for a moment how the slip of a girl he had met at the café could be old enough to be a legal guardian before he took full notice of the inadequate amount of information given. The line where the name of the kid's school should be scribbled was empty, as was the one that should be confirming his employment as a news paper boy. There was, however, a section that he hadn't considered that wasn't left blank, much to his surprise.

Apparently, those wide, innocently blue eyes belonged to a boy who was no stranger to the shadowed side of society where magical education could be bought, at the right prize. If the amount of times he had been noted by the Law Enforcement was of any indication, this boy was well enough trained to fake his own identity.

Sometimes, Kenshin thought his paranoia wasn't really paranoia. More like a gut feeling. Maybe even instinct. And now, it was whispering that there would be more pieces to this puzzle if he found the sister's files as well.

He didn't arrive home at his usual time, but Tomoe didn't show any signs of noticing the obvious break in his 8 years old long routine. He didn't really notice it himself either, because what he found about Abe Mai was enough to keep his mind occupied thorough the night.

Since when was a mage of the Freelance Trackers' Guild aged 18 noted with no existing files of former education? Why was she listed qualified, and apparently born a foreigner, when his own observation and simple logic told him _she definitely was not?_ If she was foreign born, the lack of history of her education made sense. But he had felt her magic, and it was _not_ tinted with the feel of life outside the Eastern Kingdom. Besides, the brother in her care whose magic he had felt tangled with his own left no doubt that her origin was a lie. But why would she lie? And more importantly…

_Who was she?_

oOo

**

* * *

End Notes: **Please review! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Pairing: **Kenshin x Kaoru, Kenshin x Tomoe

**Rating:** T for now, but it's rated M for future situations.

**Genre: **AU/AR, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Drama, Humour

**Warning: **Slow-building, English isn't my first language, some bad words, a little violence (not much), perhaps some OCCness peeking through.

**Notes: **I started this story ages ago and have been posting it on my LJ. I was going to wait until the story was complete until I posted it here, but I need some encouragement to keep on writing due to the dry spell I find myself in. So, I hope you will like this :)

This quick update is due to the recent anon review, and because I'm distracting myself from examinations, aaand because I've left you guys haning for so long already. But yeah, won't be quite so quick with the updates after this. Will give you a few days in-between for reviewing :)

Enjoy! :D

* * *

**On the Wrong Track**

**Chapter 5.**

"This is horrible; how could you do this to me? I'm going to die; you've led me to my death! Why have you done this to me? Are you _heartless?_ Kenshin, you bastard!"

The red-haired man in question sighed, slumping slightly in his seat and wishing they had chosen a private compartment instead of the open seats in the cheaper carts. The many eyes observing them were judging in their stares and his dear friend was not shy to share what a bastard the short red-head was. It momentarily amused him that the rogue mage was more afraid of what they were travelling _in_ rather than what they were travelling _to_. Which was, according to Chief Uramura, to the port town a few hours away.

"Sano," he began, trying to keep his voice clear of any annoyance. Hopefully, it was a soothing tone and not as strained as he felt. "It is just a train; nothing will happen to you. I'm a mage and will be able to _prevent_ anything bad from happening, alright?"

The younger man glared, his body tense and knuckles white from the effort it took him not to shake. "This is a _thing_ created by some brainless Invention mages at the University! I wouldn't trust anything _they _made with keeping an eye on the teapot, much less trust them with my fricking _life!"_

Although he did have a point, Kenshin thought it better not to mention it since it would do nothing to improve the wreck of nerves his friend had been reduced to within a few moments aboard the train. An hour had passed and still no sign of the man calming down, and it was another two hours to go before they arrived at their destination; the City of Rivers (named thus for the many rivers running past, through or around the place).

"That might be so, but like I said, I will prevent anything from happening regardless," Kenshin assured, smiling slightly. "And you would, I should hope, trust your life with me?"

This seemed to work somewhat, as the only response he got was some disgruntled muttering and averted gaze. He sighed, feeling most of the eyes on him fall away to observe something else of more interest.

Satisfied that he had done what he could at the moment, Kenshin relaxed and closed his eyes; hoping to catch some sleep. Last night had been spent pondering the new information he had come across about a certain pair of siblings who seemed to be messing with his mind without even trying. He had been thinking of them occasionally ever since he had noticed their presence, he admitted, although last night had taken things to a new level. A dangerously familiar level. He knew himself well, and when he started changing his routines in favor of considering something new, it was…bad. He knew he needed to get this sorted out as soon as possible, not willing to consider the consequences if he didn't. But right now, over the weekend, he would have to put it on hold.

He had a serial killer to catch, one that only he could face. Chief Uramura had come to him with this request, knowing the Law Enforcement Guild didn't have the right people to deal with a former Assassin of the Old Government who still lived his part from the Revolution. It was a fragment of Battousai, of Kenshin's past, and it was his responsibility. But he couldn't have gone alone, because this confrontation could end in death or severe causalities; someone had to do the clean-up, and watch his back.

He hadn't really thought so though, before Sano met him on the train station and convinced him of it. How Sano knew he was going, he didn't know, but the younger man had his ways. For now, he would just get some sleep, and maybe things would become clearer.

This was going to be a long weekend.

oOo

It took Kaoru a while to realize she was in over her head this time around. It hadn't been enough for her to realize it when seeing Sano on the train with _him_, following them to their hotel and even stalking them at 2 in the morning – arriving at an abandoned warehouse. No, it wasn't until a man whose eyes _glowed_ in the dark appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and the unfamiliar, thick flow of sharp, deadly combat magic filled the air, that she started having regrets about getting out of her bed.

Still, she had watched, transfixed, how Himura had battled the man with the insane laugh. He was all limber moves and sizzling, burning magic dancing around the vicious, mad-man who seemed to be taunting the former Battousai with words she could not make out from her hiding place. Sano was standing in a safe distance – safer than her own, she realized as she ducked and avoided a beam of acid curses coming her way and burning through the scrapes of metal working as a shield. He was watching the fight too, but unlike her, she could tell he was coiled to strike and ready to jump in at any given moment. However, she suspected this was not his fight, and she was glad, because what she saw between the two battling men was not _human._ And Sano, the thick-headed, lovable idiot was everything that defined humanity. At least he was now, compared to the insane power match she was witness of at the moment.

"Battousai! You have lost your touch! Where is your anger? Where is your HATE?"

Her blood froze at the crazed pitch of the other man's voice, and not only because he had raised his voice but because it was _so close._ She had been distracted by Sano, worried about his safety, but the fight had not stopped to adapt to her wandering mind. They had moved, and gotten only a few meters away from her poor hiding place. For the first time in many years, she felt a genuine fear for her life and damn it if it didn't terrify her enough to stop any kind of rational thinking. As they resumed fighting, Himura not bothering to reply to the other man's taunt, she found herself gasping for air. She realized, belatedly, that her foolish moment of paralyzed fear would've cost her life had she not been hidden. It took effort, but she managed to collect her wits and summon courage she wasn't sure she possessed, not stopping to fret.

First, she needed to get the hell out of here. Obviously, she had nothing to observe; Himura hadn't gone to take Sano on a night out and drink him senseless before disappearing off to a mistress. No, he had obviously gotten himself in some rather dangerous business she had no wish whatsoever to take part in and the sooner she left, the better.

Second, she needed to find an escape route to actually remove herself from this location. The warehouse was abounded, but not empty. She was on the second floor, but with no walls ahead and half of the floor missing, she could easily see the floor beneath and the many holes in the roof allowed moonlight to provide enough light for things to be visible without any magical aid. She was sure that even a small spell would alert all three males of her presence and she did not want that kind of attention at this time.

There was a slight problem though; anywhere she turned there were beams of moonlight lighting up the available paths cleared of any possible sound-making debris. Only she was concealed in heavy shadows, due to the boxes and large, metal pieces that surrounded her. With the two battling men hovering in the air and Sano standing with a clear view, she would be easily spotted should anyone look her way even for a moment. Unless….

…unless she caused a distraction.

Biting her lip, Kaoru considered her options. She could produce a hologram on the other side of the warehouse, solidify it a bit and make it push over some scraps of metal to make some noise. Once they noticed it, and saw her illusion, she would let it run away and hope it would give her enough time to get to safety. A quick estimation of the distance to the window she had climbed in trough and a fuzzy memory of how long it took to climb the latter resting against the wall outside flashed through her mind and she decided that it was possible. It could work. There was only the slight issue of her need to use magic, and the high probability that they would turn their attention both ways when they realized a possibility of there being two unknown people in this place.

But, she reasoned, if she timed her spell with a powerful strike of magic from either of the fighting mages, it might go unnoticed or be subconsciously dismissed due to the little threat her magic proposed compared to the other.

It was her only option, and if it did go wrong, she hoped Sano would recognize her in time to come to her aid.

_Sorry Sano,_ she whispered in her mind as she readied herself, _I shouldn't rely on you when I put myself in this mess, but I have to stay alive. If only for Yahiko's sake, the stupid brat._

When Himura paused long enough to be drawing a larger amount of magic together for an attack, Kaoru drew on her own. The blinding light of his spell came just in time as she released her illusion, and she wasted no time in scrambling out of her hiding place to make a mad dash towards the window. She couldn't see much, but she hoped her guess wasn't too far off as she searched for the exit. Her hands were pressing against the wall as she moved to the side, feeling for the opening that shouldn't be too far away. The light of the spell was slowly dying, but her eyes were slow to adjust and she had to blink several times to keep tears of panic at bay. _Calm down! They have most likely spotted the illusion; you're safe, for now. Keep looking, keep looking!_

Finally, she could see the frame of the window and detect the faded light of the moon coming through. Wasting little time, she reached it and prepared to climb through.

The feel of cold, cold hands she _knew_ could only belong to the mad-man previously battling Himura slipping around her waist and tugging her towards a cold, _bony_ chest made her scream in startled fear but the sound quickly died in her throat as she was forcefully yanked backwards as the man, the crazy, _insane_ man, jumped with the force of magic as aid and brought her with him.

She found herself staring into a pair of wide, golden eyes and she weakly wondered how she was supposed to get out of this mess and live to tell the tale.

When those golden – _weren't they supposed to be purple? –_ eyes narrowed she took a deep breath and decided now was not the time to think about _then_ when she clearly needed to focus on _now._

Sano's surprised, scared and undeniably furious voice called to her; she barely heard it over the silky words sliding past her ear in heavy, damp breaths that made her shudder in disgust.

"Here to make sure your lover survives, princess? I am sorry to make you disappointed, then, but I assure you I will take _good _care of him."

Her mind didn't linger on his words for long before she had already acted, pushing a scorching amount of magic from her core to her skin so quickly and without any manipulation at all that the mere rawness of it would've startled a mage who faced it prepared. He released her instantly, and she fell freely towards the warehouse's floor. She knew he would recover, and a shield was around her before he had even managed to remove his hands completely. She would suffer from the amount of magic she used later, but right now, her body, mind and soul wanted only one thing; _to survive._

She didn't even realize she had stopped falling until she was shoved from someone's embrace into another's and left with the scent of ginger and sweat and power. She blinked, hearing a familiar nickname ringing in her ears but not caring. Her eyes were following the bright-red, blurred form of someone familiar as it clashed with madness and left her breathless. Her body hummed with the magic still etched into her skin; the raw power of her core and the fine web of her shield draining her quickly even as her blood slowly lost the adrenaline pumping through her veins. With a deep, shuddering breath she slipped into a darkness that would've scared her had she not been so fascinated with the color of molten gold flashing through her sluggish mind.

Somehow she knew, as she fell unconscious, that she really shouldn't want to wake up again.

oOo

Kenshin paced back and forth, growling in utter frustration at the situation he found himself in. Jineh was dead; the mad former Assassin he had confronted in the warehouse last night. But so was, almost, a certain _stranger_ that had caused him enough trouble already. She was lying peacefully asleep in Sano's bed, no wounds but a severe magical exhaustion. He had been forced to supply her with a bit of his own magic for the first hour before she stabilized and Sano stopped shouting curses.

Now he was waiting for her to wake up and finally _explain herself._

Sano had left two hours ago, to hit the local pubs probably, and had left him alone to confront the problem, saying that he wished to have no part in what would take place once the girl woke. It was obvious he knew the girl, and was worried, so it seemed strange of him to leave her but Kenshin had more important things to figure out. Like how Abe Mai, the young girl from the café, managed to end up between him and a crazed murderer in that warehouse.

Looking through that notebook of hers sounded like a good place to start, because he could sense protective spells coming off of it and that could only mean she was, indeed, hiding something there.

Only problem was, as far as he could tell, that it was currently nestled quite deep in her cleavage.

oOo

**

* * *

End Notes: **Please review! :)


End file.
